When your order seems completely lost — the process
Yeah, I've been there. If the package clears customs and then goes silent for like 5 days, that's usually when I start checking the tracking number for typos—caught a data parsing error that way once. Honestly, sometimes the real issue is on their end with the shipping label. If the system's checksum validation fails on their side, it just fudges the whole route. Give it a couple more days, but if it still hasn't moved, dispute it with your payment method. A dead tracking link throws a red flag quicker than anything else.
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Had an order that showed no tracking movement for 31 days after dispatch. Here is the step-by-step process I went through and how it eventually resolved.
Days 1-14: waiting period
The first two weeks after dispatch with no delivery are within normal variance for standard international shipping, particularly during busy periods. I did nothing except monitor tracking. Two weeks of silence is uncomfortable but not statistically unusual.
Days 15-21: assessment
After three weeks with no scan of any kind since dispatch, I messaged the vendor. I gave them the order number, dispatch date, tracking number, and stated that there had been no tracking activity since the initial dispatch scan. The vendor confirmed the package had been sent and offered to check with their shipping partner.
Days 22-30: vendor investigation
The vendor got back to me saying the package appeared to have been lost in the outbound sorting facility before leaving the country — a rare but documented failure mode. They offered to reship under their guarantee policy.
Day 31: reship initiated
I accepted the reship. The replacement was produced and shipped within a week, arriving 14 days after the replacement dispatch.
What I would do differently
Contact the vendor at day 21 rather than waiting for day 30. The vendor's reshipping investigation takes time, and starting it a week earlier means a week faster resolution. The 30-day threshold in most reship policies is the minimum wait, not the optimal wait.
Also: document everything. Screenshot tracking status at different points. If there is a dispute about whether a package was actually shipped, having dated screenshots of the tracking status makes your case clear.
Building a timeline from your dated screenshots also helps quantify the actual delay if you eventually file a dispute. A dispute that says 'package not received after 45 days' with a tracking screenshot showing the last update at day 12 is a stronger submission than one based on memory. Dated documentation converts a complaint into a verifiable claim, which is the difference between a vendor taking it seriously and dismissing it.